Background

Formed in Dallas in the early 80's, Pantera was founded by brothers Darrell and Vincent Abbott. Along with Terrence Lee and a bassist named Rex Brown, Pantera joined the glam scene. Producing three records, the band never accomplished what they set out to do. In 1986 the members agreed to replace Terrence Lee with Phillip Anselmo. After Releasing aother album the band recieved a record deal with East West Records.

The groups first release with the new label was 'Cowboys From Hell.' This album put Pantera on the metal map, but did not sell very well because mainstream never picked it up. Two years later Pantera released 'Vulgar Display of Power', which defined Pantera's true aggressive style. The next release (Far Beynd Driven) surprised the world by debuting at number one on the Billboard Charts. Pantera released two more studio albums, and a live album in the following years.

Even though they never reached the status of No.1 again, Pantera built a following by touring for four years straight. Pantera have toured with everyone from Slayer (2001) to Rob Zombie (1996). They have also been featured on the Ozzfest on many occasions. Needless to say Pantera are still playing and preaching the same metal that made them metal icons in the early 90's.

Youtuber James Dickson just uploaded a hilarious video of a horse apparently headbanging away to some Pantera. It's a vulgar display of horsepower!

In sorta-related news, Phil Anselmo recently announced he and Down are coming out of exile following the backlash from his drunken white power outburst at Dimebash earlier this year. The first show will be taking place in Las Vegas this coming August.

My biggest issue with metal in the 2010s is that in contrast to the past three decades, there's just a lack of creativity. Newer metalcore is being increasingly influenced by nu-metal and post-hardcore as the new musicians who are in their 20s and 30s are now playing music that's entirely an amalgam of what they grew up with as teens rather than creating anything new.

Blackgaze was novel for the first few years but now feels like the light beer version of black metal at this point that doesn't have the same edge that metal is supposed to have. I'm not sure if I want black metal to have a kinder, gentler, dare I say, “cuddlier” face when compared to the antisocial behavior that defined the second wave. When I hear a band like Alcest or Deafheaven, I don't feel like these are maniacs with serious mental issues precisely because it sounds way too calculated and professional for my aging ears.

Djent is nice but often feels too monotonous to really do justice to how technical it is. For, “progressive metal” the songwriting lacks the same level of unexpected changes in direction that make progressive rock acts like Rush and Yes so appealing. Yeah, Djent is heavy but it's also often predicable when unconventional songwriting is half of what separates metal and makes it so special and unique. Blackened sludge on the othe rhand is only going to appeal to people who want extremely raw production... who will never be great enough in number to establish a trend rather than a fad. More...

This was obviously an April Fool's gag. For the full list of our 2016 jokes, head here.

Controversial Down Frontman Phil Anselmo has accepted Donald Trump's request to be his running mate. Speaking to a crowd at a Trump rally at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Phil Anselmo had this to say,

“Hey y'all. I'm Phil Anselmo here. Just lettin' you guys know that I'm gonna help make America great again as your new Vice President. It's time to get fucking hostile with ISIS and if you come to this country illegally then you can walk on home, boy. Smoke weed, hail Satan.” More...

This was obviously an April Fool's gag. For the full list of our 2016 jokes, head here.

It's the Nazi salute heard round the world that just won't go away. We thought news of Phil Anselmo's yell of “white power” at Dimebash was finally over, but that all changed this morning when some dedicated Trump followers tweeted about the incident months after the fact.

Known for inflammatory tweets about other candidate's wives and making headlines by retweeting less-than-savory sources, it shouldn't come as much surprise that the GOP presidential front runner jumped on the opportunity to show his support for the 1st Amendment.

There are few things more pathetic than supporting a rich and successful public figure's mistakes. Out on the great, glorious internet, I've seen apologists for Mel Gibson, Brian Wood, even Martin Shkreli. So the amount of people defending Phil Anselmo - when he clearly doesn't need defending - is hardly shocking. It's just disappointing.

For those out of the loop, a visibly drunken Phil Anselmo recently closed out a charity benefit concert by shouting, “White power” after covering his former band's, “Walk.” More...

Phil Anselmo just released a video clip officially apologizing for his actions at Dimebash 2016, which set off a storm of controversy across the metalverse. You can watch the video clip below.

In the video Phil says, "Anyone who knows me, knows I don't believe in any of that, I'm not part of any group like that. I'm an individual. I am 1000% apologetic to anyone who took offense to what I said. You should have taken offense to what I said. I'm so sorry, and I hope you give me another chance."

After Robb Flynn of Machine Head posted a video calling out Anselmo's antics, a horde of other bands have followed suit with their own comments. The latest is from All Shall Perish, who posted the image below and had this to say:

"We consider Pantera to be the single greatest metal band of all time, but we should never be afraid to call out our heroes. Seeing Phil's actions and his cowardly justification is not only disgusting and inexcusable but antithetical to the punk, metal, underground ethos to which we subscribe.

"No gods, No masters, and certainly no master race. Any justifications or cries of 'reverse racism,' BET, Double standards, PC Police, or general white whining are just profoundly ignorant of history, systemic effects, and the lasting impact of state sponsored racism, Jim crow, segregation and slavery.

"Talk with your black friends, if you have any, and try to gain some perspective. There has never, nor will ever, be a true incarnation of 'reverse racism' until white people are swinging from trees en mass, sold into torture, defined in the constitution as 3/5th's a person, denied from public institutions and forcibly segregated from society.

"In the face of what an actual tit for tat reprisal would look like, affirmative action and understanding the significance and context of displaying black pride seem the least the multi-generational benefactors of being the master race can muster. Racism and its institutions are a stain on American culture; likewise, Phil’s actions are a stain on the legacy of Pantera, Dime’s memory and the metal community as a whole. 'Nazi punks, fuck off.' – Dead Kennedys." More...

Update: Phil Anselmo has now released a video apologizing for what occurred at Dimebash. Watch it here.

The close of the Dimebash event this week was marred by controversy when Phil Anselmo closed out his set by throwing a Nazi salute and screaming "white power!' at the crowd. Anselmo has since responded to video of the incident (available below) by commenting:

"OK folks, I'll own this one, but dammit, I was joking, and the 'inside joke of the night' was because we were drinking fucking white wine, hahaha...

"Of all fucking things. Some of y'all need to thicken up your skin. There's plenty of fuckers to pick on with a more realistic agenda. I fucking love everyone, I fucking loathe everyone, and that's that. No apologies from me. PHA '16."

Not everyone is accepting his statement however, as Machine Head's Robb Flynn has released a video questioning the comment about white wine. Check it out here: More...

The 2016 edition of "Dimebash" was held last friday, January 22nd at Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood, CA. See below for the live performance of the Pantera song "Walk", played by an all star band including Dave Grohl, Paul Bostaph, Phil and Rex from Pantera and more.

Proceeds from the event, late Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, will go towards Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund.

Fan-filmed footage of Battlecross covering Pantera's classic "Fucking Hostile" during their New York City show with Gwar guitarist Pustulus Maximus helping out can be seen below. The show took place past Sunday, November 15, 2015 at Webster Hall, New York, NY.

Members of Metallica, Pantera, In Flames, Testament, AC/DC, Kiss, Slipknot, Mötley Crüe, Slash, Warbringer, Aborted, Periphery, Killswitch Engage, August Burns Red, Raising The Veil, Born Of Osiris, All Shall Perish, Carnifex, Textures and Anthrax etc. are among the musicians who have (so far) reacted with shock and pledges of solidarity for France following the killing of scores of people in attacks in Paris on Friday night. Some of their views can be seen below.

Child Bite premieres its cover of the Celtic Frost track "The Usurper", taken from the upcoming 12” titled "Morbid Tales: A Tribute To Celtic Frost", which will be released on November 13th via Corpse Flower Records. The song features ex-Pantera and Down frontman Phil Anselmo on vocals and is one of numerous Celtic Frost covers done by bands such as Municipal Waste, Hayward (feat. Scott Kelly and Jason Roeder of Neurosis) and many more.

The 44th episode of the MetalUnderground.com Official Podcast opens up with "Drilling Holes in Your Baby's Head" by one man band of the week Samuel Evans. This week co-hosts Kevin Perez (n0thinghead) recollects his most recent local concert experience. Then co-host Ollie Hynes (Diamond Oz) weighs in to discuss hot button topics such as the recent Dimebag Darrell grave vandalism and the inevitable Nu Metal Revival Apocalypse. Concluding with Samuel Evans' "Basement Slave" playing us out.

Check out the new podcast at this location and feel free to leave us your feedback!

Guitar World's February 2015 issue tributes the late Pantera and Damageplan guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. As part of the coverage, which was timed for the tenth anniversary of the guitarist's tragic death, the magazine was invited into Dimebag's home and recording studio (a.k.a. "The Fortress") in Dalworthington Gardens, TX.

In the video below, enjoy an exclusive video tour, which offers a private look at Dimebag's impressive guitar collection, his home, memorabilia, kitchen, bathrooms and a lot more.

As the Metal Grasshopper series draws to a dramatic and monumental close, the final episode finds Philip H. Anselmo and delusional manchild Dave Hill mending their often tumultuous relationship before Hill is released back into the wild.

Check out the sixth and final segment in the series below. If you missed it, be sure to watch Part 5 over at this location.

Guitar World's upcoming February issue is a tribute to Pantera's Dimebag Darrel, and in celebration the online version Guitarworld.com has released a previously unheard Dimebag track titled "Whiskey Road."

The song was recorded in 2001 during the "Reinventing the Steel" U.S. tour and features Dimebag Darrel on vocals and instruments. Give it a listen below. More...

Apparently nobody sent Pastor Steven Anderson from the Faithful Word Baptist Church the news that the Satanic panic ended a couple of decades ago, because he's decided to take aim at metal bands.

In an amusingly ludicrous hour long video titled "The Jews and Their Lies (Part 1 of 2)," Anderson argues that the bands Pantera, Black Sabbath, and Judas Priest are all Satanic... somehow because of the Talmud.

If you haven't bashed your head against a wall repeatedly in awhile, you could always watch the video below (the references to Pantera start at the 21:48 mark).

For those who may have seen the story trending on Facebook some time back, yes, Anderson is the same pastor who said the act of being gay should be illegal and punishable by death, stating "Here's what the Bible says, Leviticus 20:13, 'If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.' And that, my friend, is the cure for AIDS. It was right there in the Bible all along. Because if you executed the homos, like God recommends, you wouldn't have all this AIDS running rampant."

"Metal Grasshopper" continues with episode 5 "Vulgar Display of Feelings," in which metal god Philip H. Anselmo agrees to undergo group counseling with delusional manchild Dave Hill in an effort to get the goat that also happens to be his grandmother back safe and sound.

There's not a dry seat in the house as Dr. Joe Randazzo helps Philip and Dave get in touch with their feelings. Watch this one with the whole family probably. If you missed it, be sure to catch part 4 at this location.